Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

As we have heard, the Taoiseach spoke on the phone to the Canadian Prime Minister, Mr. Trudeau, in the aftermath of the Irish referendum. Since the phonecall, the G7 meeting descended into total acrimony with extraordinary things being said by the American President about the Canadian Prime Minister and the American administration has subsequently begun to impose tariffs on global trade and products coming out of Canada and other allies on the extraordinary pretext that it was being done on the basis of security. I ask if there has been any analysis done on the likely impacts of the tariffs imposed to date or the likely escalation of a trade war on Ireland, an open trading economy which is vulnerable to the closing down of markets and imposition of tariffs. Are there any contingency plans? The Taoiseach might indicate to us what exactly the Irish Government's submission to the European Commission is on the proper and appropriate response to be made by it to such tariffs being imposed.

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